Are smart RGB table lamps actually useful, or just a gimmick?

Specialist communities are split. Enthusiasts in smart-home subreddits report genuine value when the lamp is used as ambient or accent lighting with scene presets and music sync, but the same threads consistently warn that color-changing lamps make poor primary reading lights and that companion apps vary widely in quality. If you want a lamp you'll actually read by, a dimmable warm-white model is usually the safer pick.